Soviet and Russian leaders: Their illnesses and deaths - BBC News BBC News Soviet and Russian leaders: Their illnesses and deaths 1 November 2012 Read more about sharing. Close share panel The response to rumours surrounding Russian President Vladimir Putin's health has evoked comparisons with how the ailments and afflictions of previous Kremlin occupants were reported. Mr Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov has played down concerns about the president's health, saying he suffered a minor sports-related injury but is still able to carry out his duties normally. Suggestions that Mr Putin was limping, and reports that he had postponed several foreign trips prompted some media to speculate he had suffered an injury during a hang-glider flight last month which was getting worse. No-one has suggested there is anything more seriously wrong with Mr Putin than back trouble. The BBC Russian Service has been investigating how Moscow's authorities have dealt with the illnesses of its leaders since 1917, and the deaths of those who died in office. Vladimir Lenin (1870-1924) Image copyright AP Died aged 54 after a second stroke. Rumoured to have suffered from syphilis, though there is no proof of that.

He is the only Soviet leader whose state of health was not secret, and medical bulletins were published regularly. Josef Stalin (1878-1953) Image copyright Getty Images Died aged 75 of a stroke. The news of his illness was published only a day before his death, when he was already unconscious. After his stroke he was left alone for a few hours by his staff, who were afraid to disturb him. The Soviet leadership of the time also did not know what to, since the death of Stalin was considered unthinkable. In the four days between his stroke and death, he received practically no medical attention while Soviet leaders jockeyed for position. His death was announced on 5 March. Nikita Khruschev (1894-1971) Image copyright AFP Died aged 77. Details about his life - and health - were kept out of the public eye after he was removed from his post and replaced by Leonid Brezhnev in 1964. Krushchev had five heart attacks, the last of which was fatal.

He was not granted a state funeral and, reportedly fearing demonstrations, the Kremlin delayed announcing his death until the last minute, surrounding the cemetery where he was buried with troops. Pravda dedicated one sentence to the death of the former leader. Leonid Brezhnev (1906-1982) Image copyright AP Died aged 76. The reasons for his death are still unclear, though during his last years he had problems speaking, suffered from occasional memory loss and had problems with co-ordination. Yuri Andropov (1914-1984) Died aged 70 of kidney failure. News of his illness was never broadcast. Konstantin Chernenko (1911-1985) Image copyright Getty Images Died aged 74. It is known that he suffered from emphysema and caught pneumonia. News of his illness was never broadcast. On 10 March he fell into a coma, and later that day died as a result of heart failure. He became the third Soviet leader to die in less than three years. Boris Yeltsin (1931-2007) Image copyright AP Died aged 76 in retirement.

Apparently he suffered five heart attacks while in office, none of which were reported in the press. He also drank a considerable amount of alcohol. Given the appearance of a free press in Russia, rumours about Yeltsin's heart condition and alcohol consumption were widely circulated, including the fact that he suffered a heart attack two weeks before elections in 1996. The press also reported that Mr Yeltsin underwent quintuple heart bypass surgery in November 1996. But those rumours and the surgery were never officially confirmed. Leaders Throughout The History Of The Soviet Union - WorldAtlas.com Society Leaders Throughout The History Of The Soviet Union Joseph Stalin, a Georgian, by far led the USSR longer than any other man. Leonid Brezhnev had the second longest reign. A March 1919 photograph of Stalin, Lenin, and Kalinin from the 8th Congress of the Russian Communist Party. The Soviet Union was a world superpower that helped to shape and define almost the whole 20th century. The Soviet Union formed out of the ashes of World War One, was a victor of World War Two and went on to challenge the United States as a world superpower during the Cold War.

This article will analyze the lives, achievements, and criticisms of the nine men who led the Soviet Union. The leaders of the Soviet Union Vladimir Lenin Vladimir Lenin was born in Ulyanovsk, Russia, in 1870. He founded the Communist Party in 1912, but he spent years leading up to the Russian Revolution in exile abroad before Germany arranged for him to go back to Russia to get them out of World War One. From there Lenin led the October Revolution to overthrow the provisional government that had overthrown the monarchy during the February Revolution. Lenin and the Communists then quickly consolidated power and eventually won the Russian Civil War (1917-22). Lenin then spent the last few years of his life trying to shape the future of the Soviet Union. Josef Stalin Lenin's warning in his final years about the unchecked power of party members went unheeded, however, and this led to a power struggle for control following his death, Joseph Stalin was born in Gori, Georgia in 1878, which was then a part of the Russian Empire. Like Lenin, Stalin was in exile leading up to the Russian Revolution.

Stalin then helped shape the young Soviet Union through the resulting Russian Civil War, Polish-Soviet War and the invasion of Georgia. During this period Stalin clashed with Lenin and other Soviet Leaders over ideology, strategy, and his violent tendencies. After Lenin's death Stalin accumulated power, eventually become the unquestioned leader by 1929. Stalin then spent years leading up to World War Two pushing his economic policy of Collectivization and trying to industrialize the country. Stalin also spent this time purging, executing and deporting his enemies to Siberia. The Soviets and the Germans signed a non-aggression pact and agreed to split up Eastern Europe but then Hitler violated it and invaded the Soviet Union. Stalin led the Soviet Union to victory in World War Two over Germany. Stalin took control of Eastern Europe after World War Two and established the Soviet Bloc. Relations with the West deteriorated and the Cold War started in 1947. Stalin died a few years later in 1953. Georgy Malenkov Georgy Malenkov was born in Orenburg, Russia in 1902.

His advancement through the party was advance by his family connections with Lenin and later under the watchful eye of Stalin. He was heavily involved in Stalin's purging of his enemies in the 1930's, gaining Stalin's favor and avoiding his wrath. Upon Stalin's death, Malenkov became the leader of the Soviet Union. However, Malenkov had a reformist streak as he called for cuts in military spending and easing up on political repression. This fact led to his undoing as a few weeks later Nikita Khrushchev organized a coalition as him and undercut all of his authority as leader. By 1955 Malenkov was no longer the leader of the Soviet Union. In 1957, he joined a failed coup attempt against Khrushchev and was expelled from the Communist Party. Malenkov was then sent to Kazakhstan to serve as manager of a hydroelectric plant to spend the rest of his life in disgrace. He died in 1988. Nikita Khrushchev In 1894, Nikita Khrushchev was born in Kalinovka, Russia.

In 1918, Khrushchev joined the Communist Party and fought in the Red Army. Khrushchev rose quickly through the ranks of the Communist Party during the 1930's and 40's. Shortly after taking over the leadership of the Soviet Union from Malenkov, Khrushchev gave a speech where he denounced the excesses under Stalin. This speech was the start of his policy of de-Stalinization, which resulted in protests in Poland and Hungary that were put down. Khrushchev relaxed restrictions on free expression, released political prisoners and launched bold but ultimately unattainable agricultural goals. He largely tried to pursue a policy of peaceful coexistence with the West but at the same time started the Cuban Missile Crisis and started construction on the Berlin Wall. Poor economic growth, deteriorating relations with China and other issues eventually led to Khrushchev being ousted from power by "retiring" due to his health. Khrushchev spent his remaining years at his estate, dying in 1971.

Leonid Brezhnev Leonid Brezhnev was born in Kamianske, Ukraine in 1906, which was then part of the Russian Empire. He joined the Komsomol (political youth organization) in 1923 and in 1929 became a full member of the Communist party. Brezhnev fought in World War Two, reaching the rank of major general and in 1952 became a member of the Central Committee. Brezhnev took over as the leader for Khrushchev and ended his cultural reforms by clamping down on the cultural freedom and he gave the KGB back some of their former powers they had under Stalin. The Soviet economy grew under Khrushchev at a rate that was on pace to catch up with America but by the mid-1970's entered an era of stagnation and never recovered. Brezhnev also built up the Soviet Union's military at the cost of their economy. During the 1970's Brezhnev pursued a policy of detente with the West trying to normalize relations but the Soviet's costly decision to invade Afghanistan in 1979 ended the detente policy.

In his last few years, Brezhnev's health deteriorated, and he was mostly a figured head. He died in 1982. Yuri Andropov Yuri Andropov was born in the Stavropol Governorate in 1914, which was then a part of the Russian Empire. Andropov joined the Communist Party in 1939, and his superiors quickly noticed his abilities making him head of the Komsomol. After being transferred to Moscow in 1951, he was assigned to the Secretariat staff and then became ambassador to Hungary from 1954-57. After returning to Moscow from his ambassadorship he rose quickly through the party ranks and became head of the KGB in 1967. Andropov started positioning himself for succession as leader of the Soviet Union with Brezhnev in poor health. Andropov was declared his successor and quickly consolidated power. Andropov led an anti-corruption campaign and dismissed many party ministers and secretaries. Andropov also did reluctantly continue the Soviet war in Afghanistan.

His rule was short however because by August of 1983 his ill health overtook him and he spent his last days in the hospital, dying in 1984. Konstantin Chernenko Konstantin Chernenko was born in the Yeniseysk Governorate in 1911, which was then part of the Russian Empire. Chernenko joined the Komsomol in 1929 and became a full member of the Communist Party in 1931. Chernenko started working for the propaganda department in 1933 and rose through the ranks. The turning point in his career was a meeting with future Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev in 1948. Brezhnev continued to help him rise through the ranks, with Chernenko gaining full membership to the Central Committee in 1971. Chernenko replaced Andropov as leader despite his own ailing health. Chernenko supported a greater role for labor unions and reforming education and propaganda.

Chernenko negotiated a trade pact with China but did little to de-escalate the Cold War, boycotted the 1984 Summer Olympics and did not end the war in Afghanistan. By the middle of 1984 Chernenko's health start deteriorating and he died in March of 1985. Mikhail Gorbachev Mikhail Gorbachev was born in Stavropol Krai, Russia in 1931. He joined and became very active in the Communist party while at Moscow State University and also graduated with a law degree. By 1979 he had become a candidate member of the Politburo and in 1985 he became the leader of the Soviet Union after Chernenko's death. Gorbachev engaged in a race to amass nuclear weapons in space with the United States, which proved costly for the suffering Soviet economy. Gorbachev managed to end the costly Soviet war in Afghanistan in 1987. He worked to provide more freedoms and reforms to the Soviet people with his policies of glasnost and perestroika (openness and restructure).

In 1989 Gorbachev organized elections to require Communist Party members to run against non-members to make a more democratic electoral system. He also removed the Communist Party's constitutional role in governing the state, which inadvertently led to the dissolution of the Soviet Union. This fact was in spite of Gorbachev wanting to keep the Soviet Union together. By 1990 Gorbachev was grappling with different groups waging war and demanding independence, along with a sputtering Soviet economy. In 1991 Gorbachev's rival Boris Yeltsin was elected President of the Russian Republic and was pushing radical changes to the economy. By the end of December of 1991, the Soviet Union had completely crumbled, and Gorbachev stepped down and gave Yeltsin complete power over Russia. Gennady Yanayev Gennady Yanayev was born in Perevoz, Russia in 1937. He spent years in local politics before he rose to prominence as Chairman of the All-Union Central Council of Trade Unions.

This fact helped him to gain a seat in the Politburo in 1990 and later that year with Gorbachev's help he became the first vice president of the Soviet Union. Yanayev quickly had growing doubts about Gorbachev's reform policies and started working with the Gang of Eight against Gorbachev. He took formal leadership of the Gang of Eight and deposed Gorbachev during the August coup of 1991. The coup collapsed after three days due to the growing popularity of Boris Yeltsin, and Yanayev was arrested. He was pardoned in 1994 and spent the rest of his life working for the Russian tourism administration until his death in 2010. A reflection on the Soviet Union and its leaders The Soviet Union grew out of the revolution lead by men like Lenin and Stalin to eventually become a world superpower to challenge the United States for world dominance for the second half of the 20th century. You know how the various Soviet leaders rose to power and what they did in their time as leader. From their greatest achievements to their biggest failures, I hope that you now know more about the leaders of the Soviet Union.

Past Leaders Of The Soviet Union Historical Leaders Of The Soviet Union Era In Power Konstantin Chernenko | president of Union of Soviet Socialist Republics | Britannica.com president of Union of Soviet Socialist Republics Written By: Alternative Title: Chernenko, Konstantin Ustinovich Konstantin Chernenko President of Union of Soviet Socialist Republics born Leon Trotsky Konstantin Chernenko, in full Konstantin Ustinovich Chernenko (born September 11 [September 24, New Style], 1911, Bolshaya Tes, Yeniseysk, Russian Empire [now in Krasnoyarsk kray, Russia]—died March 10, 1985, Moscow ), chief political leader of the Soviet Union from February 1984 until his death in 1985. Born to a Russian peasant family in the Yeniseysk region of Siberia, Chernenko joined the Communist Party in 1931.

Trained as a party propagandist, he held several administrative posts before becoming head of agitation and propaganda (agitprop) in Moldavia (1948–56), where he was first noticed by Leonid Brezhnev and brought to Moscow to head a similar department for the party’s Central Committee (1956–60). When Brezhnev took over the party in 1964, he made Chernenko his chief of staff. Chernenko was a full member of the Central Committee from 1971 and of the Politburo from 1977. An old-line conservative , Chernenko traveled extensively with Brezhnev and was considered his aide, confidant, and, by some observers, his heir apparent. After Brezhnev’s death, however, he was unable to rally a majority of the party factions behind his candidacy to be head of the party and lost out to Yury V. Andropov , the former KGB chief, who became general secretary on November 12, 1982.

However, Andropov had become mortally ill by the following August , and after his death six months later, Chernenko succeeded him as general secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union on February 13, 1984. On April 12 he became chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet. Like his predecessor, Chernenko began showing signs of deteriorating health shortly after taking office. His frequent absences from official functions because of illness left little doubt that his election had been an interim measure, and upon his death he was succeeded by Mikhail S. Gorbachev. Learn More in these related articles: Leaders of the Soviet Union Leaders of the Soviet Union Also: USSR (1922-1991) An approximately chronological listing of Soviet leaders (heads of the Central Committee of the Communist Party and President of the Soviet Union). The formal head of the government was the Premier of the Soviet Union. This was the most important position in Lenin's time. After Lenin's death the most important position ultimately became the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union who headed the Politburo.

Top leaders of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (1922-1991) Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars (Informally, Leader of the Bolsheviks since the very beginning) Vladimir Ilyich Lenin 26 Oct 1917 - 21 Jan 1924 (+) General Secretary of the Central Committee Iosif Vissaryonovich Stalin 3 Apr 1922 - 5 Mar 1953 (+) First Secretaries of the Central Committee Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev 7 Sep 1953 - 14 Oct 1964 (+1971) Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev 14 Oct 1964 - 8 Apr 1966 (+1982) General Secretaries of the Central Committee Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev 8 Apr 1966 - 10 Nov 1982 (+) Yuriy Vladimirovich Andropov 12 Nov 1982 - 9 Feb 1984 (+) Konstantin Ustinovich Chernenko 13 Feb

 1984 - 10 Mar 1985 (+) Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev 11 Mar 1985 - 24 Aug 1991 Heads of State Chairmen of the Central Executive Committe of the All-Russian Congress of Soviets Lev Borisovich Kamenev 9 Nov 1917 - 21 Nov 1917 (+1936, executed) Yakov Mikhaylovich Sverdlov 21 Nov 1917 - 16 Mar 1919 (+) Mikhail Fyodorovich Vladimirsky 16 Mar 1919 - 30 Mar 1919 (+1951) (acting) Mikhail Ivanovich Kalinin 30 Mar 1919 - 19 Jul 1938 (+1946) Chairman of the Central Executive Committee of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics Mikhail Ivanovich Kalinin 30 Dec 1922 - 12 Jan 1938 (+1946) Chairmen of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet Mikhail Ivanovich Kalinin 17 Jan 

1938 - 19 Mar 1946 (+1946) Nikolay Mikhaylovich Shvernik 19 Mar 1946 - 6 Mar 1953 (+1970) Kliment Yefremovich Voroshilov 15 Mar 1953 - 7 May 1960 (+1969) Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev 7 May 1960 - 15 Jul 1964 (+1982) Anastas Ivanovich Mikoyan 15 Jul 1964 - 9 Dec 1965 (+1978) Nikolay Viktorovich Podgorniy 9 Dec 1965 - 16 Jun 1977 (+1983) Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev 16 Jun 1977 - 10 Nov 1982 (+) Vasiliy Vasilyevich Kuznetsov 10 Nov 1982 - 16 Jun 1983 (+1990) (acting, as 1st deputy

) Yuriy Vladimirovich Andropov 16 Jun 1983 - 9 Feb 1984 (+) Vasiliy Vasilyevich Kuznetsov 9 Feb 1984 - 11 Apr 1984 (+1990) (acting, as 1st deputy) Konstantin Ustinovich Chernenko 11 Apr 1984 - 10 Mar 1985 (+) Vasiliy Vasilyevich Kuznetsov 10 Mar 1985 - 27 Jul 1985 (+1990) (acting, as 1st deputy) Andrey Andreyevich Gromyko 27 Jul 1985 - 1 Oct 1988 (+1989) Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev 1 Oct 1988 - 25 May 1989 Chairman of the Supreme Soviet Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev 25 May 1989 - 15 Mar 1990 President of the USSR Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev 1

5 Mar 1990 - 25 Dec 1991 Heads of Government Chairmen of the Council of People's Commissars Vladimir Ilyich Lenin 8 Nov 1917 - 21 Jan 1924 (+) Aleksey Ivanovich Rykov 23 Jan 1924 - 19 Dec 1930 (+1938, executed) Vyacheslav Mikhaylovich Molotov 19 Dec 1930 - 6 May 1941 (+1986) Iosif Vissaryonovich Stalin 6 May 1941 - 15 Mar 1946 (+) Chairmen of the Council of Ministers (Premiers) Iosif Vissaryonovich Stalin 19 Mar 1946 - 5 Mar 1953 (+) Georgiy Maksimilianovich Malenkov 5 Mar 1953 - 8 Feb 1955 (+1988) Nikolay Aleksandrovich Bulganin 8 Feb 1955 - 27 Mar 1958 (+1

975) Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev 27 Mar 1958 - 15 Oct 1964 (+1971) Aleksey Nikolayevich Kosygin 15 Oct 1964 - 23 Oct 1980 (+1980) Nikolay Aleksandrovich Tikhonov 23 Oct 1980 - 27 Sep 1985 (+1997) Nikolay Ivanovich Ryzhkov 27 Sep 1985 - 14 Jan 1991 Prime Minister Valentin Sergeyevich Pavlov 14 Jan 1991 - 22 Aug 1991 (+2003) Chief of the Committee on Operative Management of the People's Economy Ivan Stepanovich Silayev 24 Aug 1991 - 14 Nov 1991 Chairman of the Interrepublican Economic Committee Ivan Stepanovich Silayev 20 Sep 1991 - 14 Nov 1991 Chairman of the Interstate Economic Committee Ivan Stepanovich Silay

ev 14 Nov 1991 - 26 Dec 1991 Ministers of Foreign Affairs People's Commissars for Foreign Affairs Lev Davydovich Trotskiy 1917 - 1918 (+1940, assassinated) Georgiy Vasilyevich Chicherin 1918 - 21 Jul 1930 (+1936) Maksim Maksimovich Litvinov 21 Jul 1930 - 3 May 1939 (+1951) Vyacheslav Mikhaylovich Molotov 3 May 1939 - 15 Mar 1946 (+1986) Ministers of Foreign Affairs Vyacheslav Mikhaylovich Molotov 19 Mar 1946 - 4 Mar 1949 (+1986) Andrey Yanuaryevich Vyshinskiy 4 Mar 1949 - 5 Mar 1953 (+1954) Vyacheslav Mikhaylovich Molotov 5 Mar 1953 - 1 Jun 1

956 (+1986) Dmitriy Trofimovich Shepilov 1 Jun 1956 - 15 Feb 1957 (+1995) Andrey Andreyevich Gromyko 15 Feb 1957 - 2 Jul 1985 (+1989) Eduard Amvrosiyevich Shevardnadze 2 Jul 1985 - 15 Jan 1991 (acting from 20 Dec 1990) Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Bessmertnykh 15 Jan 1991 - 23 Aug 1991 Boris Dmitriyevich Pankin 28 Aug 1991 - 14 Nov 1991 Minister of External Relations Eduard Amvrosiyevich Shevardnadze 19 Nov 1991 - 26 Dec 1991 Chairmen and directors of KGB and predecessors All-Russian Extraordinary Commissary against the Counterrevolution and the Sabotage (Cheka) Feliks Edmundovich Dzerzhinksiy 1

917 - 1922 (+1926) Main Political Department (State security, GPU) Feliks Edmundovich Dzerzhinksiy 1922 - 1923 (+1926) Joint Main Political Department (State Security, OGPU) Feliks Edmundovich Dzerzhinksiy 18 Sep 1923 - 20 Jul 1926 (+) Vyacheslav Rudolfovich Menzhinskiy 30 Jul 1926 - 10 May 1934 (+) Note: OGPU merged into NKVD 10 Jul 1934 People's Commissary for State Security (NKGB) Vsevolod Nikolayevich Merkulov 3 Feb 1941 - 20 Jul 1941 (+1953, executed) Note: NKGB merged with NKVD from 20 Jul 1941 to 14 Apr 1943 People's Commissary for State Security (NKGB) Vsevolod Nikolayevich Merkulov 14 Apr 1943 - 15 Mar

 1946 (+1953, executed) Ministry of State Security (MGB) Vsevolod Nikolayevich Merkulov 19 Mar 1946 - 7 May 1946 (+1953, executed) Viktor Semyonovich Abakumov 7 May 1946 - 14 Jul 1951 (+1954, executed) Sergey Ogoltsov 14 Jul 1951 - 9 Aug 1951 (acting) Semyon Denisovich Ignatiyev 9 Aug 1951 - 5 Mar 1953 (+1983) Note: MGB merged into MVD 5 Mar 1953 Committee for State Security (KGB) Ivan Aleksandrovich Serov 13 Mar 1954 - 8 Dec 1958 (+1963, suicide) Aleksandr Nikolayevich Shelepin 25 Dec 1958 - 13 Nov 1961 (+1994) Vladimir Yefimovich Semichastniy 13 Nov 

1961 - 18 May 1967 (+2001) Yuriy Vladimirovich Andropov 18 May 1967 - 26 May 1982 (+1984) Vitaliy Vasilyevich Fedorchuk 26 May 1982 - 17 Dec 1982 Viktor Mikhaylovich Chebrikov 17 Dec 1982 - 1 Oct 1988 (+1999) Vladimir Aleksandrovich Kryuchkov 1 Oct 1988 - 22 Aug 1991 Leonid Nikolayevich Shebarshin 22 Aug 1991 - 23 Aug 1991 (acting) Vadim Viktorovich Bakatin 23 Aug 1991 - 22 Oct 1991 (+) means deceased Go to the top of the Leaders of the Soviet Union page.

Biography for Kids: Mikhail Gorbachev Best known for: Bringing reform to the Soviet Union and helping to end the Cold War. Nickname: The Marked One Biography: Mikhail Gorbachev was the last leader of the Soviet Union before it dissolved in 1991. He brought many reforms to the Soviet Union including new freedoms which eventually led to many countries breaking away from the union claiming independence. His relationships with western leaders such as Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher helped bring an end to the Cold War. Mikhail Gorbachev Source: White House Photographic Office Where did Mikhail grow up? Mikhail was born in Stavropol, Russia on March 2, 1931. His parents both worked in agriculture. Mikhail also worked in agriculture while attending school. His childhood was filled with difficult events. In 1933 a famine swept through much of Russia. Two of his sisters and an uncle died during the famine. In 1937 his grandfather was arrested for supporting the followers of Leon Trotsky. Later, in 1942, his town was occupied by the Germans in World War II. In 1950 Mikhail went to Moscow University where he received a degree in law.

He also met his wife Raisa Titorenko there and joined the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU). Rising in the Communist Party After graduating in 1955, Gorbachev first worked as a member of the Communist Youth Organization. He became the leader of the division in Stavropol. In 1961 he was selected to be the delegate for Stavropol at the 22nd Communist Party Congress in Moscow. Over the next several years Gorbachev became a leader in the Communist Party. First, in 1970, he became First Secretary for the entire Stavropol territory. Then, 1971, he moved to Moscow as the Secretary of Agriculture. Mikhail quickly became a force in Moscow gaining influence with such powerful leaders as Yuri Andropov (KGB leader who later became leader of the Soviet Union). In 1980 Gorbachev was selected to be a member of the Politburo, the most powerful group in the Communist Party. He was the youngest member of the Politburo. Becoming the Leader of the Soviet Union Within a few short years, Gorbachev gained considerable influence on the Politburo.

After two aging leaders died in 1984 and 1985, the Communist Party wanted someone young and healthy to take over as leader. On March 11, 1985 Mikhail Gorbachev became the General Secretary of the Soviet Union. When Gorbachev took over as leader, the Soviet economy was struggling. He wanted to reform the economy as well as the government. In order to do this he needed support, so he began to replace some of the older members of the politburo with younger men who shared his vision. Glasnost and Perestroika Gorbachev announced two main areas of reform. He called them Glasnost and Perestroika. Glasnost called for increased openness in government. It also allowed for some freedom of speech and less censorship. Perestroika was a restructuring of the economy and industry. It allowed for some private ownership and economic reforms to try and improve the Soviet economy. Peace with the West Gorbachev also made attempts to end the Cold War and improve relations with the west. He met with US President Ronald Reagan and signed the INF treaty regarding nuclear weapons. He also removed Soviet troops from Afghanistan ending the Soviet Afghanistan War .

Gorbachev and Reagan signing the INF treaty Source: White House Photographic Office Gorbachev also indicated that the Soviet Union would no longer interfere with other countries in Eastern Europe. This caused a major change in the world. Without the fear of the Soviet Union, countries such as Eastern Germany, Poland, and Hungary got rid of their communist governments. In 1989 the Berlin Wall in Germany was torn down. 1991 Coup Attempt In August of 1991, communist "hardliners" who didn't agree with Gorbachev's reforms tried to take over the government. They kidnapped Gorbachev and said he was sick and couldn't rule. Soon protests grew and Gorbachev was set free, but the damage to the government had been done. Collapse of the Soviet Union Although Gorbachev's reforms allowed for more freedom, many states used this freedom to protest and eventually claim independence from the Soviet Union. By the end of 1991, the Soviet Union had collapsed. On December 25, 1991 Gorbachev resigned as leader of the Soviet Union and the Union was split into 15 separate countries.

Later Activities Since resigning Gorbachev has remain involved in politics. He started new political parties in Russia and even ran for president in 1996 (he didn't win). Recently he has criticized the rule of President Vladimir Putin. Interesting Facts About Gorbachev He was heavily influenced by his grandfather who taught him about Marxism and Lenin. He had one child, a daughter named Irina. Gorbachev has received many awards for his work including the St. Andrew Award from Russia, the Ronald Reagan Freedom Award, the Indira Gandhi Prize, and the Nobel Peace Prize (1990). He has a large birth mark on his forehead which led to the nickname "The Marked Man". He was in a Pizza Hut commercial in 1997 with his granddaughter Anastasia. He once said "If what you have done yesterday still looks big to you, you haven't done much today." Soviet Communist Party names new leader, Feb.

13, 1984 - POLITICO POLITICO Share on Facebook Share on Twitter On this day in 1984, the Soviet Communist Party’s Central Committee, meeting at the Kremlin, named Konstantin Chernenko to succeed Yuri Andropov as its general secretary, automatically making him the Soviet Union’s top leader. The New York Times described Chernenko, who was 72 at the time, as “a Bolshevik of the old mold” and added that “he is widely regarded in Moscow as an ideologue low on formal education or managerial experience, but high on propaganda and party loyalty.” Story Continued Below Andropov, who had died earlier that month after only 15 months in office, had stated that he wanted Mikhail Gorbachev to be named his successor. Andropov, who had headed the KGB, the Soviet secret police, had his wish fulfilled posthumously after Chernenko died of heart failure just 13 months later.

Chernenko’s brief term in office coincided with President Ronald Reagan’s verbal attacks on the Soviet Union as “an evil empire.” In May 1984, the Kremlin withdrew from participation in the Summer Olympic Games, which were to be held in Los Angeles, citing security concerns and “chauvinistic sentiments and an anti-Soviet hysteria being whipped up in the United States.” Fourteen Eastern bloc countries and their allies, including Cuba but not Romania, joined the boycott, which was widely viewed as an act of retaliation for the U.S. boycott of the Moscow Summer Games in 1980. That summer, the boycotting countries organized their own Friendship Games, which were extensively covered by CNN, then a fledgling cable network. Chernenko was the third Soviet leader to die in less than three years.

When Reagan, who was seven months older than Chernenko and just over three years older than Andropov was told of Chernenko’s death, the president said: “How am I supposed to get anyplace with the Russians if they keep dying on me?” 3 SOVIET LEADERS ARE CALLING OFF FOREIGN TRAVELS - NYTimes.com 3 SOVIET LEADERS ARE CALLING OFF FOREIGN TRAVELS By SETH MYDANS, Special to the New York Times Published: March 11, 1985 MOSCOW, Monday, March 11— The apparent hurried return of three Kremlin officials from visits abroad signaled the possibility today that the Soviet leader, Konstantin U. Chernenko, had died. Solemn music on the radio and the cancellation of normal programming on morning television were also signs of a possible death in the Soviet leadership. Vitaly I. Vorotnikov, a member of the Communist Party Politburo, cut short by one day a visit to Yugoslavia, Eastern European sources said. They said he canceled a final visit to the Yugoslavian capital, Belgrade, flying directly home Sunday night from Titograd.

He reportedly arrived in Moscow at 3 A.M. Other Abrupt Departures This morning's issue of the Communist Party newspaper Pravda included a line saying he had departed for home. However, the paper did not report the cancellation of appointments and the return home from the United States of another Politburo member, Vladimir V. Shcherbitsky, who was heading a Soviet parliamentary delegation that abruptly announced Sunday in San Francisco that it was cutting short by two days its visit to the United States. (Page A6.) Mr. Shcherbitsky canceled appointments in California and flew to New York en route home. Propaganda Chief Returns Another senior Kremlin official, Mikhail V. Zimyanin, the chief of propaganda for the Communist Party Central Committee, is also reported to be returning home today from Hamburg, where he arrived only Sunday at the head of a parliamentary delegation. The West German Foreign Ministry was reported to have confirmed that Mr. Zimyanin would return to Moscow this morning on a special flight. The Kremlin officials who are returning from abroad would be needed at high-level conferences if Mr. Chernenko, who is 73 years old, had died or become incapacitated.

Meanwhile, the morning schedule of ceremonial visits for the visiting French Foreign Minister, Roland Dumas, was continuing in Moscow. The French delegation had received no word about any unusual events in the Kremlin. Somber Radio Music Muscovites knew immediately this morning that something was wrong when they awoke to somber music on their radios. In a series of recent successions in the Politburo, this has been the first sign that a leader has died. The radio station ''Mayak'' switched from its normal programming and began playing quiet classical music at 1 A.M. Russians have been prepared for the possible death of Mr. Chernenko since an announcement that he had stayed away from a scheduled appearance on the advice of doctors. Recent television appearances have showed him to be weak and frail. Western experts say he suffers from emphysema, and there have been unconfirmed reports in Moscow that he has a heart ailment. Mr. Chernenko has dropped from sight for extended periods during the past year, and he has not been seen in public, apart from two brief television appearances, since late December.

In his most recent two television appearances, at the end of February, he was shown casting a ballot in local parliamentary elections and receiving his credentials as a parliamentary delegate. In both appearances he stood unsteadily, sat slumped in evident exhaustion in a chair, and spoke with apparent difficulty in a weak voice. The Soviet leader who is believed to have been Mr. Chernenko's strongest patron, Leonid I. Brezhnev, died in office in November 1982. He was succeeded by Yuri V. Andropov, who died in office in February 1984. Mr. Chernenko then became the top Soviet leader. Comedy Show Canceled Some Muscovites on their way to work this morning said that something had happened when they found that a popular 7 A.M. comedy show had been canceled. Morning television also changed its programming, canceling a scheduled gymnastics program and a review of soccer results and substituting a documentary film about nature. As the radio began to play somber music late into the night, the streets of Moscow were quiet and deserted, with little sign that anything was amiss. Few lights were on at the headquarters building of the police or the K.G.B. security police.

There was no activity to be seen at the House of Unions, where Kremlin leaders lie in state. But at the Communist Party Central Committee building, several windows were ablaze with lights after 4 A.M. Limousines Gather As a cold spring sun rose this morning, official limousines began to gather outside the Central Committee building a few steps from the Kremlin. This morning's issue of the Communist Party newspaper Pravda carried no sign that anything was amiss, reporting on the foreign travels of the Kremlin officials and publishing a full page of commentary on the arms limitation talks scheduled to open Tuesday in Geneva. Pravda is printed relatively early in the evening, and is slow to adjust to late-breaking developments. The official press agency Tass, which is quicker to respond to events, fell silent during the night, only switching on to print a commentary about the Geneva talks at 9:40 in the morning. Television and radio programming until midnight were normal, including musical variety programs. The evening news program at 9 P.M. included comment on a messaage sent by Mr. Chernenko to American war veterans. If a leader had died, a Western diplomat said, ''Certainly there were no signs of it.''

Question: Which Soviet leader died in 1984
Answer: Yuri Andropov